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East Links: Marlins, Votto, Darvish, Cashman

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For the first time since 2005, there isn't a single team from either East division in the LCS round. That just means we're going to be hearing a lot more about them during the hot stove season. Here are some East Coast links…

  • Earlier today we heard that the Reds are expected to listen to offers for Joey Votto, and Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post thinks the Marlins may kick the tires (Twitter link). The Fish are expected to make a splash before moving into their new stadium, and Votto would certainly qualify. Click here for Tim Dierkes' Offseason Outlook.
  • Although the Marlins are expected to be quite active this offseason, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter) doesn't expect them to be in on Yu Darvish as the club isn't terribly active in Asia.
  • No surprise here, but Yankees GM Brian Cashman says that he still wants to return next season, writes Chad Jennings of The Journal News. Cashman's contract expires at the end of the month, and ESPN's Buster Olney hears (on Twitter) that talks about a new contract are going smoothly. A deal could be done by the end of next week.
  • Jennings looked back at the trade deadline and asked if the Yankees missed an opportunity. He says it's easy to say they did in hindsight, but he agrees when Cashman says "I don't see there was any missed opportunity I could have done differently."

NL Central Notes: Votto, Cardinals, Carpenter

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Let's take a look at a few items out of the National League Central…

  • Rival executives are getting signals that the Reds won't shop Joey Votto, but the club is fully prepared to listen to offers this winter, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • We could see some changes to the Cardinals' coaching staff, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The Athletics have expressed interest in assistant hitting coach Mike Aldrete and he is believed the leading candidate for the position.  Meanwhile, pitching coach Dave Duncan may choose to step away from baseball as his wife is suffering from a brain malignancy.
  • Before the Cardinals inked a two-year extension with Chris Carpenter in September, they internally discussed whether the veteran's stuff had regressed, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  Ultimately, they decided that even though his surface-level stats had taken a dip, Carpenter was still capable of throwing well.
  • Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter) expects the Cubs to name their next GM before the start of the World Series.

NL Central Notes: Astros, Lee, Reds

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The NL Central's two playoff representatives both play tonight. The Cardinals host the Phillies in St. Louis and the Brewers could eliminate the D'Backs in Phoenix. Here's the latest on the division's non-playoff teams as we await today's games…

Central Notes: Fister, Pence, Cubs

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A few items of note regarding teams from MLB's Central divisions, as the Cards fall behind the Phils in Game 1 of the NLDS.

  • The Tigers preferred Doug Fister to Ubaldo Jimenez when they were shopping for a pitcher before the trade deadline, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Whether that's true, we'll probably never know, but Fister certainly pitched better for Detroit than Jimenez did for Cleveland after the deadline. The Mariners were originally hesitant to move Fister, according to Knobler, but Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was persistent in pursuing the right-hander.
  • The Reds tried to acquire Hunter Pence from the Astros, according to Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News, and GM Walt Jocketty has said he thought he made a better offer to Houston than the one it eventually accepted from the Phillies. McCoy reports that the Astros wanted Devin Mesoraco and adds that lefty Aroldis Chapman was not available.
  • The Cubs remain in limbo while waiting to hire a new general manager, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, who notes that the fates of manager Mike Quade, his coaches, and several players are up in the air until someone takes the helm. The Cubs are unlikely to spend lavishly this offseason, according to Sullivan.

Ohio Notes: Thome, Sizemore, Phillips, Cordero

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The Indians (80-82) edged out the Reds (79-83) for state bragging rights this season and the Tribe also went 5-1 against Cincinnati in interleague play.  As a result, the Cleveland notes lead off the latest edition of news from the Buckeye State…

  • "I would say that the percentage is higher of me coming back next year than not," Jim Thome tells MLB.com's Zack Meisel.  The veteran slugger is known to be considering retirement.
  • GM Chris Antonetti says the Indians' payroll will be "significantly" higher next year, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  This doesn't necessarily mean Cleveland will be making big moves, however, as the Tribe have a number of players due healthy arbitration raises this winter.
  • Appearing on a Starting Blocks TV video, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer predicts that Grady Sizemore will return to the Indians next season.  The Tribe have a $9MM club option on Sizemore for 2012, or the team could buy him out for $500K.  Hoynes also writes that the Indians will have to make a quick decision about their center fielder given that Sizemore had his knee examined on Monday and teams have until just three days after the last game of the World Series to decide on player options.
  • Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer believes the Tribe should let Sizemore leave since he's too much of an injury risk.  Pluto suggets Cleveland should decline Sizemore's option and see if he would agree to return for something akin to a $3MM deal with lots of incentives.
  • In case you missed it, manager Manny Acta's option for the 2013 season was picked up earlier today by the Tribe.
  • Tim Belcher has stepped down as the Indians' pitching coach and will take a job in the team's baseball operations department.  MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports that "the Indians have known for months" that Belcher was thinking of resigning.
  • The Reds should "play the odds" and cut ties with both Brandon Phillips and Francisco Cordero, opines John Erardi of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Erardi thinks the Reds must spend more efficiently and not sign two veteran players to big-money contracts.  He also suggests seeing what Aroldis Chapman could bring on the trade market.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks the Reds will again pursue an front-of-the-rotation pitcher this winter.
  • "This is going to be a strange offseason, I think," Bronson Arroyo says to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "I don't think anyone in the locker room here has any idea what moves the front office wants to make." 

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Cordero, Pirates, Barmes

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The Astros are playing spoiler against a former bitter rival of theirs tonight, as they try to halt the Cardinals’ improbable playoff bid. Here are some notes from the NL Central, while the two clubs play in Houston… 

  • Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts told Cubs reporters, including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, that he's looking to name a GM as soon as possible, but cautions that there's "no point in rushing" the process. Ricketts pointed to the Diamondbacks to remind reporters that turnarounds can happen quickly in baseball under the right circumstances.
  • Ricketts added that he expects GM candidates to see the four-year extension that director of player personnel Oneri Fleita obtained this summer as a positive. 
  • It's looking like the Reds will complete a deal with Francisco Cordero instead of picking up his $12MM option for 2012 ($1MM buyout), according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). We heard yesterday that Reds GM Walt Jocketty is optimistic about working out a deal with his closer. For the latest on Cordero and other MLB closers, check out CloserNews.com.
  • Ryan Doumit told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he thinks his chances of returning to Pittsburgh in 2012 are "slim" (Twitter link). The Pirates hold a $7.25MM option ($500K buyout) for the backstop next year.
  • Clint Barmes told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he would like to return to the Astros next year. However, the shortstop is open to exploring other options and he realizes that Houston’s ownership changes could affect offseason plans. Earlier in the month, I revisited the trade that sent Barmes to the Astros.

Reds Notes: Brandon Phillips & Francisco Cordero

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The Reds extended GM Walt Jocketty through 2014 earlier this week, and now the GM is focused on getting some of his big name players under contract beyond this season. Let's round up the latest…

  • Jocketty met with the Levinson Brothers today, representatives for second baseman Brandon Phillips. MLB.com's Mark Sheldon says talks were preliminary in nature. "It went fine," said the GM. "We had talked a little bit in the past. It was more a kind of guidelines of what we're trying to do. Once the season is over, we'll talk again."
  • Jocketty added that if they can't find a middle ground, they will exercise Phillips' $12MM option for next season and then "keep working on it."
  • John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter) that Jocketty said he's optimistic about getting something done with closer Francisco Cordero in the near future. An extension will "probably" be a two-year deal. Like Phillips, the Reds hold a $12MM for Cordero's services in 2012.

Reds Notes: Cozart, Janish, Cordero

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The Reds' top pick is currently protected, which means there's a good chance they'll be able to sign a Type A free agent this offseason without surrendering a first round pick in 2012 (they'd lose a second rounder instead). Some updates on the Reds, who beat the Mets tonight…

  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer explains that the Reds are hoping Zack Cozart emerges as their starting shortstop in 2012. They're likely to have a veteran backing up at short (though it seems unlikely that Edgar Renteria will return), so there's not necessarily room for Paul Janish on next year's club.
  • Reds closer Francisco Cordero told Fay that the Reds called his agent about a new deal and talked to him about the possibility as well. The Reds have a $12MM option for Cordero in 2012, though as MLBTR's Dan Mennella showed this month, the sides could agree to a two-year deal worth a total of $8-10MM instead. GM Walt Jocketty has said that the sides have discussed a deal “quite a bit.”
  • Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News wonders whether Chris Heisey will be a fourth outfielder, the regular center fielder, or the regular left fielder in 2012.

Jocketty To Meet With Phillips’ Agents

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With the Reds heading to New York to play the Mets, general manager Walt Jocketty plans on meeting with the agents for Brandon Phillips while in the Big Apple, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.

Seth and Sam Levinson, the agents for for Phillips, are the same pair that helped the 30-year-old second baseman work out the current four-year, $27MM contract that he's currently finishing up. It's already all but decided that the Reds will exercise Phillps' $12MM option for the 2012 season, but it's been well-publicized that Phillips would consider merely exercising the option a "slap in the face."

Current discussions are expected to be preliminary, and Jocketty tells Sheldon that the negotiations could very well carry on into the winter. We've seen a few September extensions from other teams this season (Chris Carpenter, Tim Byrdak, and Lance Berkman), but none of those three signed a deal that would be of the size or magnitude that it would require to lock up Phillips.

Phillips has certainly upped his stock in September, batting .326/.402/.628 with six homers entering play today to raise his season line to .301/.352/.459. His .811 OPS would be his highest since the .816 mark he posted in his 30-30 season in 2007, while his OPS+ of 120 would be a career-high.

Ohio Notes: Thome, Jimenez, Willis, Reds

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As the Indians celebrate Jim Thome Night at Progressive Field, it's only fitting that the veteran slugger provide the party's highlight.  Thome hit his 15th homer of the year (and 604th of his career) this evening, which led to an obligatory curtain call for the Cleveland fans.

Here's the latest about the Indians and Reds, including one item about Thome himself…

  • Thome says he's physically capable of playing another season, reports The Associated Press.  Thome says he'll discuss things with his family this winter and he currently isn't leaning one way or the other towards retirement.
  • Ubaldo Jimenez has regressed from his 2010 form, but MLB.com's Jordan Bastian argues that it is far too early for Tribe fans to give up on the right-hander.
  • Dontrelle Willis "would love" to pitch for the Reds in 2012 and praised the organization for giving him a chance to resurrect his career, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  Willis is an intriguing veteran depth option for any team, and since his asking price won't be too exorbitant, it wouldn't be a shock to see him re-sign in Cincinnati.
  • The Reds' coaches will all return in 2012, Walt Jocketty tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).
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